The Athletic is in two hockey markets, and with those markets colliding in a Blackhawks-Maple Leafs’ matchup in Toronto on Saturday, we’re taking this opportunity to intersect our hockey coverage. Call it an “Original Two” conversation.

David Alter covers the Maple Leafs for The Athletic Toronto and Scott Powers covers the Blackhawks for The Athletic Chicago.

Scott Powers: Hi, David. So, I’ve been in Canada for a few days now. I think I picked the wrong place for The Athletic to send me. I left snow in Chicago for snow elsewhere. James Mirtle was wise to travel to warm destinations.

How about we start with the question on everyone’s mind — what’s going on with the Leafs? If I was a betting man, should I be putting my money on them to make the playoffs?

David Alter: Hi, Scott. Welcome to the Great White North, where we are happy to be living out the proper frigid stereotype.

If you were to ask me a few weeks ago, I’d tell you to double down on your bet in favor of a Leafs playoff berth. Since the trade deadline, there have been some telling signs that show the team in a downward trend. They have been losing the possession battle in most games and despite a three-game winning streak in March, they haven’t looked in control of their own fate.

Apart from good goaltending from Frederik Andersen, the Leafs have been a defensive nightmare in March and haven’t looked anything like the team that performed well in the earlier months.

How about the Blackhawks? The bar has been set so high with that team that I have to believe anything but a Stanley Cup championship is seen as a disappointment. I saw they recently increased season-ticket prices again. Is that going over well with the fanbase?

The Blackhawks defeated the Maple Leafs 5-4 in their previous game this season. (Matt Marton/USA TODAY Sports)

SP: I appreciate you spelling favor as you did. I know that was difficult. As for the Blackhawks’ Cup question, yeah, it’s championship or bust. They’ve sent the bar extremely high since 2010 with three Stanley Cups and four Western Conference finals appearances. Especially coming off a first-round exit last season, the Blackhawks and their fans are eager to get back to the top.

If you had asked me prior to February if the Blackhawks were legit Cup contenders, I would have probably said no. They had been winning at a high rate, but it didn’t appear to be sustainable. They were relying heavily on Corey Crawford and Scott Darling in net and clutch goals. They had so many one-goal games come down to the final minutes.

But since Feb. 1, things have changed. Rookie Nick Schmaltz’s emergence as a top-six forward has completed the Blackhawks’ top line puzzle, and they now have two dangerous lines. It’s also helped Patrick Kane has raised his game. The possession numbers have improved with all that. Plus, they added Johnny Oduya to the defense, and he should fit in well again. I think ultimately Crawford will be the key. He’s often been the difference in their Cup runs.

As for the season tickets, no fan is ever happy to see what they owe go up, but I think people get it too. It’s a winning product. The demand is great. They’re still not the most expensive ticket in the league (Isn't that Toronto?). Add it all up, it’s probably justified.

I wanted to ask you about Auston Matthews and all the young kids. What’s impressed you about Matthews? Who else has stood out? Is this a group they can keep together maybe like the Hawks and create something for a long time?

DA: If you think spelling favo(u)r was difficult, I have to use the word “defenseman” all the time just to avoid other Canadian/American differences in spelling, i.e. … defence, defense.

Auston Matthews has totally changed the complexion of the Maple Leafs. His ability to handle the pressure that comes with being a focal point in a city like Toronto has been quite impressive.

Matthews put the entire league on notice when he scored an unprecedented four goals in his NHL debut. As a rookie, he’s asked to carry other rookies on his wing on a nightly basis. Most centers are eased into the NHL by starting out as a winger, but not Matthews.

Leafs forward Mitch Marner has been a surprise. He’s given the team some depth and has been a driving force on a line with veteran forwards James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak. Before training camp, many were lamenting that Marner wasn’t eligible for the American Hockey League because he still had a year of junior hockey eligibility. Marner put those questions to bed by showing he was more than ready for the big leagues.

Leafs forward William Nylander has exceptional skill and is often in the shadow among all the hype that surrounds Matthews and Marner. With so many rookies on the Leafs, they seem to have countered the nerves that usually surround a rookie but putting them all in together.

The other day, we saw Blackhawks forward Richard Panik score one heck of a goal.

We knew you'd want to see Richard Panik's goal of the year candidate, and the @Allstate Play of the Week, from every angle possible.

The Blackhawks traded forward Jeremy Morin to Toronto in exchange for Panik last season. What is it about Chicago that has allowed him to flourish?

SP: The opportunity has been there. That’s the first part. The Leafs seemed to have made their mind up about him. The Blackhawks were willing to kick the tires with the trade, saw glimpses of his goal-scoring potential last season and were willing to explore it further this season.

Given a chance on the top line with Jonathan Toews to begin the season, Panik ran with it. He scored six goals on his first nine shots. He obviously hasn’t remained at that level, but he’s had quite a respectable season. He scored his 18th goal of the year, which also happened to be a game-winner, on Thursday.

A lot of it seems to be mental for Panik. He’s done a lot of work off the ice the past few years working with mental skills coaches to remain positive regardless of whether the production has been there. When the confidence is going, he’s got skill and is willing to try some things. Those stick-handling moves don’t always work, but they’re pretty special when they do. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville deserves some credit for Panik’s rise too. He’s put Panik in some optimal situations, and Panik has taken advantage of them.

Richard Panik was acquired by the Blackhawks from the Leafs. (Marilyn Indahl/USA TODAY Sports)

Speaking of coaches, what’s it like to cover Mike Babcock? I’ve only been to a handful of his press conference and witnessed his coaching from afar. Before I forget too, any good food recommendations for myself and the traveling Blackhawks fans?

DA: I recommend Chicagoans try out Prohibition Gastrohouse on Queen Street East. They make an awesome pulled pork sandwich.

It’s been fun to cover Mike Babcock as a head coach. I find him quite insightful and he’ll always give you a quote that you can remember. He also seems to be in touch with what the perception is about him. There was one time he was asked about the defensive pairing of Roman Polak and Matt Hunwick. Many people and analytics types would suggest a change there. He gave his reasoning for sticking with the pairing while also mentioning advanced metrics like Corsi.

In many ways, I feel like Babcock talks to the media as if he is coaching us as well. It’s part of his everyday life.

Welcome to Toronto. An “Original Six” matchup on a Saturday Night should be fun.

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Scott Powers is lead hockey writer and contributor for The Athletic (Chicago). Previously he covered the Chicago Blackhawks and the Chicago White Sox for ESPN Chicago. He also brings previous experience from the Daily Herald and the Chicago Sun-Times and has been a sportswriter in the Chicagoland area for the past 15 years. Scott is a graduate of Indiana University. Follow Scott on Twitter @byscottpowers. If you liked this story, subscribe today for access to all of our ad-free content. Plans start at just $4.99 per month.